Battery systems containing recyclable battery portions

ABSTRACT

Battery systems containing recyclable battery portions. The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, comprising a housing configured to retain two or more battery portions; two or more battery portions configured to fit within the housing; wherein the housing is configured to fit within a battery compartment of a cart; wherein the two or more battery portions, when effectively connected together using a central connector of the battery system, collectively produce sufficient power to power electronic equipment of the cart; and wherein each of the two or more battery portions weigh at or below a desired threshold weight.

PRIORITY

The present application is related to, and claims the priority benefitof, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/431,895, filed Dec.9, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated into the presentdisclosure directly and in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

When a standard lithium battery used with a medical cart, for example,reaches the end of its life, it cannot be readily recycled because itweighs over the eleven pound limit for lithium battery recycling byvarious recycling entities. As such, when current lithium batteries onthe market expire, hospitals and other users of said lithium batteriescannot recycle them, and are effectively stuck with a stockpile of deadbatteries without reasonable options for recycling and/or disposal.Shipping these heavy dead batteries is also problematic as most shippingcompanies will not permit shipment of hazardous materials, and specialcertifications may be required in order to ship lithium batteries.

In view of the same, battery systems useful to power medical carts orother electronic equipment that contain elements that can be readilyrecycled would be well received in the marketplace.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system,comprising a housing configured to retain two or more battery portions;two or more battery portions configured to fit within the housing;wherein the housing is configured to fit within a battery compartment ofa cart; wherein the two or more battery portions, when effectivelyconnected together using a central connector of the battery system,collectively produce sufficient power to power electronic equipment ofthe cart; and wherein each of the two or more battery portions weigh ator below a desired threshold weight, such as eleven pounds, a weightgreater than eleven pounds, or a weight less than eleven pounds.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe housing comprises a front door or cover coupled thereto.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions can be chargedby a power source when positioned within the housing within the batterycompartment of the cart.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions can be chargedby a power source when positioned within the housing outside of thebattery compartment of the cart.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions can be chargedby a power source when positioned outside of the housing.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system,comprising a housing configured to retain two or more battery portions;two or more battery portions configured to fit within the housing;wherein the housing is configured to fit within a battery compartment ofa cart; wherein the two or more battery portions, when effectivelyconnected together using a central connector of the battery system,collectively produce sufficient power to power electronic equipment ofthe cart; and wherein each of the two or more battery portions weigh ator below a desired threshold weight.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe threshold weight is eleven pounds.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe threshold weight is less than eleven pounds.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions are configuredto be charged by a power source when positioned within the housingwithin the battery compartment of the cart.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions are configuredto be charged by an external power source when the two or more batteryportions are positioned within the housing within the batterycompartment of the cart.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereineach battery portion of the two or more battery portions are configuredto be charged by a power source when the two or more battery portionsare positioned outside of the housing.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe housing comprises a front door or cover coupled thereto, wherein thefront door or cover can allow access to the two or more battery portionswhen the front door or cover is open.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe housing comprises a top door or cover coupled thereto, wherein thetop door or cover can allow access to a first manifold and a secondmanifold of the battery system when the top door or cover is open.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, furthercomprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal present on arelative exterior of the external housing.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe central connector is further connected to the positive terminal andthe negative terminal so that the electronic equipment of the cart, whenconnected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal, can bepowered from the two or more battery portions.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, whereinthe two or more battery portions are stacked vertically.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system,configured so that when a first battery portion of the two or morebattery portions are removed for recycling, the first battery portioncan be recycled as it is below the desired threshold weight, and furtherconfigured to receive a replacement battery portion to replace the firstbattery portion of the two or more battery portions.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system, formingpart of a cart system, the cart system further comprising a computer anda display.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system,comprising a housing configured to retain two or more battery portions;two or more battery portions configured to fit within the housing;wherein the housing is configured to fit within a battery compartment ofa cart; wherein the housing comprises a front door or cover coupledthereto, wherein the front door or cover can allow access to the two ormore battery portions when the front door or cover is open; wherein thehousing comprises a top door or cover coupled thereto, wherein the topdoor or cover can allow access to a first manifold and a second manifoldof the battery system when the top door or cover is open; wherein thetwo or more battery portions, when effectively connected together usinga central connector of the battery system, collectively producesufficient power to power electronic equipment of the cart when theelectronic equipment is connected to a positive terminal and a negativeterminal of the battery system that is also connected to the centralconnector; and wherein each of the two or more battery portions weigh ator below eleven pounds.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a battery system,configured so that when a first battery portion of the two or morebattery portions are removed for recycling, the first battery portioncan be recycled as it is below the desired threshold weight, and furtherconfigured to receive a replacement battery portion to replace the firstbattery portion of the two or more battery portions.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a cart, comprising abattery system of the present disclosure, a computer, and a display,wherein the housing is configured to fit within a battery compartment ofthe cart, wherein the two or more battery portions collectively producesufficient power to power the computer and the display, and wherein eachof the two or more battery portions weigh at or below a desiredthreshold weight.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a cart, wherein thethreshold weight is eleven pounds.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a cart, wherein thehousing comprises a front door or cover coupled thereto, wherein thefront door or cover can allow access to the two or more battery portionswhen the front door or cover is open, and wherein the housing furthercomprises a top door or cover coupled thereto, wherein the top door orcover can allow access to a first manifold and a second manifold of thebattery system when the top door or cover is open.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a cart, wherein eachbattery portion of the two or more battery portions are configured to becharged by an external power source when the two or more batteryportions are positioned within the housing within the batterycompartment of the cart.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of a cart, configured so thatwhen a first battery portion of the two or more battery portions areremoved for recycling, the first battery portion can be recycled as itis below the desired threshold weight, and further configured to receivea replacement battery portion to replace the first battery portion ofthe two or more battery portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed embodiments and other features, advantages, anddisclosures contained herein, and the matter of attaining them, willbecome apparent and the present disclosure will be better understood byreference to the following description of various exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a component diagram of various components of a batterysystem, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a battery system for use with a cart, according to at leastone embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an exemplary battery system with aplurality of battery portions therein, according to at least oneembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary battery system withoutthe battery portions therein and without a top door or cover, accordingto at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a block component diagram of portions of an exemplarybattery system, according to at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6A shows a block component diagram of a cart connected to a powersource so to charge battery portions of a battery system, according toat least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B shows a block component diagram of a battery system connected toa power source so to charge battery portions of the battery system,according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6C shows a block component diagram of a battery portion connectedto a power source so to charge the battery portion.

An overview of the features, functions and/or configurations of thecomponents depicted in the various figures will now be presented. Itshould be appreciated that not all of the features of the components ofthe figures are necessarily described. Some of these non-discussedfeatures, such as various couplers, etc., as well as discussed featuresare inherent from the figures themselves. Other non-discussed featuresmay be inherent in component geometry and/or configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of thepresent disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used todescribe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitationof the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.

The present disclosure includes disclosure of battery systems andmethods to use the same to power various electronic equipment, such as,for example, hospital carts. An exemplary embodiment of a battery systemof the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1,battery system 100 comprises an external housing 102, and a plurality ofbattery portions 104. Battery systems 100 of the present disclosureinclude at least two battery portions 104, configured to fit withinhousing 102. Housings 102, in various embodiments, are configured to fitwithin battery compartments 202 of a carts 200, for example.

Exemplary battery portions 104 of the present disclosure are configuredso to weigh below a desired weight. For example, and in variousembodiments, battery portions 104 of the present disclosure can eachweigh at or below eleven (11) pounds. In other embodiments, batteryportions 104 of the present disclosure can each weigh at or belowanother desired threshold weight, such as a weight greater than eleven(11) pounds or less than eleven (11) pounds, such as twelve (12) poundsor more or ten (10) pounds or less. Said battery portions 104, such aswhen configured as lithium batteries, must be at or below eleven poundsso that they can be readily recycled, as certain jurisdictions permitrecycling of lithium batteries that weigh at or below eleven pounds.

In at least some embodiments, battery portions 104 of the presentdisclosure are lithium batteries, and are configured for use to powercomponents of a cart 200, such as a computer 210 and/or a display 212.Two or more battery portions 104 can be used, and would be configured tofit within external housing 102, and whereby external housing 102, withthe two or more battery portions 104 positioned therein, is configuredto fit within a battery compartment 202 of a cart 200 (batterycompartment 202 is covered as shown in FIG. 2). In at least someembodiments, external housings 102 are configured to be sized as a groupsize U1 battery, which is a standard size used to power various carts200 made by various manufacturers.

For example, and when a standard cart lithium battery reaches the end ofits life, it cannot be readily recycled because they weigh over theeleven pound threshold. As such, when current lithium batteries on themarket expire, hospitals and other users of said lithium batteriescannot recycle them, and are effectively stuck with a stockpile of deadbatteries without reasonable options for recycling and/or disposal.Shipping these heavy dead batteries is also problematic as most shippingcompanies will not permit shipment of hazardous materials, and specialcertifications may be required in order to ship lithium batteries.

Battery systems 100 of the present disclosure are a solution to thisproblem, as the individual battery portions 104 each weigh within theallowable limit to permit recycling, which can be conveniently done atmany home improvement stores. Should a user of a battery system 100 ofthe present disclosure need to replace one or more battery portions 104,those individual battery portions 104 can be readily replaced withinexternal housing 102, and the expired battery portions 104 can bereadily recycled. Battery portions 104 within external housing 102 canbe effectively connected to one another, so that the power provided bythe battery portions 104 within external housing 102 can be effectivelycombined and used to power cart 200 components.

Carts 200, as referenced herein, may include, for example, hospitalcarts that are used to transport and power computer equipment so thatmedical personnel can move the carts 200 to locations as desired, suchas at or near patients or to areas where patient care is provided and/orwhere patent data is entered and/or retrieved from the computerequipment. As shown in FIG. 2, cart 200 can comprise a computer 210(which can be, for example, electronic equipment having a processor andmemory and a storage medium or access to a storage medium, also referredto as a console, terminal, personal computer, laptop computer, tablet,smartphone or other smart device, touchpad, and the like) and a display212 coupled to, such as in the case of a terminal or personal computer,or formed as part of computer 210, such as in the case of a tablet. Saidcarts 200 are also used, for example, in connection with dispensingmedication for patients, whereby the computer 210 is configured aselectronic equipment used, for example, in connection with regulatingintravenous administration of medicine to a patient.

An exemplary battery system 100 of the present disclosure is shown inFIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, battery system 100 comprises an externalhousing 102 and a plurality of battery portions 104, such as lithiumbattery portions 104. Battery portions 104, as shown in FIG. 3, areconfigured to fit within external housing. A front door or cover 300,such as shown in FIG. 3, can be removably coupled or hingedly coupled toexternal housing 102, so to allow access to battery portions 104 whenfront door or cover 300 is open and to conceal battery portions 104 whenfront door or cover 300 is closed. A top door or cover 302 can also beremovably coupled or hingedly coupled to external housing 102, asdesired, whereby first and second manifolds 400, 402, such as shown inFIG. 4, can be concealed when top door or cover 302 is in a closedposition. A positive terminal 310 and a negative terminal 312 arepresent on a relative exterior of external housing 102 so to readilyallow connection of battery system 100 to portions of cart 200 or otherelectronic equipment.

FIG. 4 shows an external housing 102 without battery portions 104therein, so that an interior compartment 410, namely the inside portionof external housing 102 where battery portions 104 can beplaced/positioned, can be readily seen. Front door or cover 302, invarious embodiments, can have a notch or aperture 450 defined therein,whereby a latch portion 452 of exterior housing 102 can engage notch oraperture 450 when front door or cover 302 is closed to secure front dooror cover 302 in a closed position about external housing 102. FIG. 4also shows relative sides/portions of exterior housing 102, such as, forexample, a top portion 460, a first side portion 462, a second sideportion 464 opposite first side portion 462, a back portion 466, and abottom portion 468, whereby said portions 460, 462, 464, 466, 468 alongwith front door or cover 302 can enclose battery portions 102, forexample.

Each battery portion 104 within external housing 102 can effectivelycouple to one another through a central connector 500, such as shown inFIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, two or more battery portions 104 areconfigured to connect, directly or indirectly, to a central connector500, whereby central connector 500 is configured to connect, directly orindirectly, to positive terminal 310 and negative terminal 312. Withsuch a connection, for example, two or more battery portions 104 can besuccessfully used to provide power/energy to a cart 200 or otherelectronic equipment via positive terminal 300 and negative terminal 312of external housing 102.

Battery systems 100 of the present disclosure can be charged in variousways, such as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. As shown in FIG. 6A, a cart200 can be connected to a power source 600, such as a power outlet,storage battery, etc., so to charge battery portions 104 within batterysystem 100. Said connection can be direct or indirect and can use, forexample, a cord or connector 602 to connect battery system 100 to powersource 600. Battery system 100 can also be charged outside of cart 200,such as shown in FIG. 6B whereby battery system 100 is connected,directly or indirectly, to power source 600, and may be connected usinga cord or connector 602. Individual battery portions 104 can also becharged outside of external housing 102, such as shown in FIG. 6Cwhereby battery portion 104 is connected, directly or indirectly, topower source 600, and may be connected using a cord or connector 602.

While various embodiments of devices for battery systems containingrecyclable battery portions and methods for using the same have beendescribed in considerable detail herein, the embodiments are merelyoffered as non-limiting examples of the disclosure described herein. Itwill therefore be understood that various changes and modifications maybe made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof,without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The presentdisclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect tothe content thereof.

Further, in describing representative embodiments, the presentdisclosure may have presented a method and/or a process as a particularsequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or processdoes not rely on the particular order of steps set forth therein, themethod or process should not be limited to the particular sequence ofsteps described, as other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore,the particular order of the steps disclosed herein should not beconstrued as limitations of the present disclosure. In addition,disclosure directed to a method and/or process should not be limited tothe performance of their steps in the order written. Such sequences maybe varied and still remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A recyclable battery system for a mobilecart, comprising: a battery compartment within the mobile cart; ahousing positioned within the battery compartment; two or more batteryportions each weighing at or below a threshold weight of eleven poundsand configured to fit within the housing and be removable from thehousing of the battery compartment of the mobile cart; and a centralconnector for connecting the two or more battery portions to one anotherto collectively produce sufficient power to power electronic equipmentof the mobile cart; and wherein the housing further comprises a top dooror cover coupled thereto, wherein the top door or cover conceals a firstmanifold and a second manifold of the battery system when the top dooror cover is in a closed position, wherein when a first battery portionof the two or more battery portions are removed from the batterycompartment of the mobile cart for recycling, the first battery portioncan be recycled as it is at or below the threshold weight of elevenpounds.
 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein each battery portionof the two or more battery portions are configured to be charged by apower source when positioned within the housing within the batterycompartment of the cart.
 3. The battery system of claim 1, wherein eachbattery portion of the two or more battery portions are configured to becharged by an external power source when the two or more batteryportions are positioned within the housing within the batterycompartment of the cart.
 4. The battery system of claim 1, wherein eachbattery portion of the two or more battery portions are configured to becharged by a power source when the two or more battery portions arepositioned outside of the housing.
 5. The battery system of claim 1,wherein the housing comprises a front door or cover coupled thereto,wherein the front door or cover can allow access to the two or morebattery portions when the front door or cover is open.
 6. The batterysystem of claim 1, wherein the top door or cover can allow access to thefirst manifold and the second manifold of the battery system when thetop door or cover is open.
 7. The battery system of claim 6, furthercomprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal present on arelative exterior of the external housing.
 8. The battery system ofclaim 7, wherein the central connector is further connected to thepositive terminal and the negative terminal so that the electronicequipment of the cart, when connected to the positive terminal and thenegative terminal, can be powered from the two or more battery portions.9. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the housing is furtherconfigured to receive a replacement battery portion to replace the firstbattery portion of the two or more battery portions.
 10. The batterysystem of claim 1, forming part of a cart system, the cart systemfurther comprising a computer and a display.
 11. A recyclable batterysystem for a mobile cart, comprising: a battery compartment within themobile cart; a housing positioned within the battery compartment; andtwo or more battery portions each weighing at, or below, a thresholdweight of eleven pounds and configured to fit within the housing, and beremovable from the housing of the battery compartment of the mobilecart; wherein the housing comprises a front door or cover coupledthereto, wherein the front door or cover can allow access to the two ormore battery portions when the front door or cover is open; wherein thehousing comprises a top door or cover coupled thereto, wherein the topdoor or cover can allow access to a first manifold and a second manifoldof the battery system when the top door or cover is open; wherein thetop door or cover conceals the first manifold and the second manifold ofthe battery system when the top door or cover is in a closed position; acentral connector for connecting the two or more battery portions to oneanother to collectively produce sufficient power to power electronicequipment of the mobile cart when the electronic equipment is connectedto a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery systemthat is also connected to the central connector; and wherein when afirst battery portion of the two or more battery portions are removedfrom the battery compartment of the mobile cart for recycling, the firstbattery portion can be recycled as it is at or below the thresholdweight of eleven pounds.
 12. The battery system of claim 11, furtherconfigured to receive a replacement battery portion to replace the firstbattery portion of the two or more battery portions.
 13. A mobile cart,comprising: a recyclable battery system, comprising: a batterycompartment within the mobile cart; a housing positioned within thebattery compartment; wherein the housing comprises a top door or covercoupled thereto, wherein the top door or cover conceals a first manifoldand a second manifold of the battery system when the top door or coveris in a closed position two or more battery portions each weighing at,or below, a threshold weight of eleven pounds and configured to fitwithin the housing, and be removable from the housing of the batterycompartment of the mobile cart; a positive terminal and a negativeterminal; and a central connector connecting the two or more batteryportions to one another, the positive terminal, and the negativeterminal; a computer; and a display; wherein the two or more batteryportions collectively produce sufficient power to power the computer andthe display; and wherein when a first battery portion of the two or morebattery portions are removed from the battery compartment of the mobilecart for recycling, the first battery portion can be recycled as it isat or below the threshold weight of eleven pounds.
 14. The cart of claim13, wherein the housing comprises a front door or cover coupled thereto,wherein the front door or cover can allow access to the two or morebattery portions when the front door or cover is open, and wherein thetop door or cover can allow access to the first manifold and the secondmanifold of the battery system when the top door or cover is open. 15.The cart of claim 13, wherein each battery portion of the two or morebattery portions are configured to be charged by an external powersource when the two or more battery portions are positioned within thehousing within the battery compartment of the mobile cart.
 16. The cartof claim 13, further configured to receive a replacement battery portionto replace the first battery portion of the two or more batteryportions.